Dragonwyck is a novel written by American author Anya Seton which was first published in 1944. It is the fictional story of the life of Miranda Wells and her abusive marriage to Nicholas Van Ryn, set against the historical background of the Patroon system, Anti-Rent Wars, the Astor Place Riots, and steamboat racing on the Hudson River. The novel was adapted into the film Dragonwyck (1946). Source: Wikipedia (en)